LADY BEARCATS UNDERSTOOD ASSIGNMENT

The assignment was not an easy one. But it was understood.

The Booneville High School Lady Bearcats needed a win over Cedarville, with whom they had split this season, Tuesday night to punch their ticket to a third straight regional tournament.

The Lady Bearcats (13-13), continued their last season surge with a dominating second half to beat the Lady Pirates for the second time with this one in convincing fashion, 52-30, for a fifth straight win.

The Lady Bearcats led 26-14 at the intermission but quickly stretched that to 32-14 on 3s by Baylee Parnell and Lexi Franklin.

Franklin would lead the Lady Bearcats with 17 points and had five assists in the game. Parnell (shown) recorded her second double digit game with 11 points. Linley Garrett was also in double figures with 14 on the night.

Cedarville scored on the possession following the Franklin 3 but that would be it for over eight minutes.

By then the sportsmanship rule was in effect as Tempi Terry, Franklin, Angie Brown, and Garrett all scored before the quarter ended with the Lady Bearcats up 43-16.

A Parnell 3 started the fourth quarter scoring and a running clock and continued a trend of almost everyone getting involved in the scoring that had started when six players contributed to the scoring in the first quarter alone.

Through one quarter the Lady Bearcats led 15-7 but had scored the first four of what would be an 8-0 run to a lead of a dozen.

Cedarville whittled it down to seven with 3:57 left in the half but the lady Bearcats scored the next seven again and would lead by a dozen again at the break.

The win moves the Lady Bearcats into the semifinals against top seeded Cossatot River at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The teams split the season series with both winning at home.